Liquid fuel metering devices for use on internal combustion engines



p 1 E. w. DOWNING 2,852,164

LIQUID FUEL METERING DEVICES FOR USE ON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Feb. 7, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 16, 1958 E. w. DOWNING 2,852,164

LIQUID FUEL METERING DEVICES FOR USE ON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Feb. 7, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 2 p 1953 E. w. DOWNING 2,852,164

LIQUID FUEL METERING DEVICES F USE 0N INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENG 5 Filed Feb. '7, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Lucien/i015 ENlPownzirc United States Patent LIQUID FUEL METERENG DEVICES FOR USE ON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Eric William Downing, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham, England, assignor to Joseph Lucas (Industries) Limited, Birmingham, England Application February 7, 1955, Serial No. 486,667

Claims priority, application Great Britain February 15, 1954 2 Claims. (Cl. 222263) The object of the present invention is to provide in a convenient form, metering device for supplying a liquid fuel from a feed pump to three or more cylinders of an internal combustion engine.

A metering device in accordance with the invention comprises a rotary valve having a cylindrical bore which is divided into three or more chambers by spaced and freely movable shuttles, the number of which is one less than the number of the chambers, and a barrel having inlet and outlet ports situated in positions corresponding to the said chambers, the mode of action being such that discharge of liquid from any one chamber is effected by pressure of liquid in another chamber, and the arrangement being such that discharge through all the outlet ports excepting one is effected by separate movements of the shuttles, discharge through the other port being effected by joint movement of the shuttles.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end view of a metering device in accordance with the inven tion for supplying liquid fuel to a three-cylinder engine, and Figures 2, 3 and 4 are respectively longitudinal sections on the planes 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an end view of a metering device similar to that shown in Figures 1-4 for supplying fuel to a six-cylinder engine having two groups each containing three cylinders.

Referring to Figures 14, the rotary valve a is of cylindrical form and is provided at one end with a gear wheel b by which it can be rotated at an appropriate rate from any convenient part of the engine. In the valve is formed a longitudinal cylindrical bore which is closed at one end by a plug c in screw thread connection with the valve, and from this plug extends a stem d.

The other end of the bore is closed by an axially slidable plug 2 from which extends a stem 1. The position of the plug c is adjustable by a screw g attached to the end cover it of the body part i, the screw being provided with a finger piece j and a lock nut k. Within the bore of the valve are contained two freely slidable shuttles m, n and on the shuttle in is formed a stem 0. The stems d, f on the plugs c, e serve as stops for the shuttles, and the stem 0 serves both to determine the spacing of the shuttles to transmit motion from one of them to the other.

The shuttles m, n divide the bore of the valve into three chambers herein designated by 1, 2, 3,.and are such that they can displace equal volumes of liquid.

The rotary valve a is contained in a barrel 2 which is enclosed within the body part i, and (in the example illustrated) is held in position by a disc q in screw thread connection with the body part. The barrel is adapted as shown to form with the body part an annular feed chamber 1' which is supplied with liquid fuel under pressure from a feed pump (not shown) through an inlet s. Around the body part at 120 apart are provided three outlets t, u, v, for connection to the three cylinders of the engine, these outlets being secured in radial ports w formed in the barrel 2 and respectively disposed in line with the said chambers 1, 2, 3. Also in the valve and barrel are formed radial ports x, y as shown in Figures 2-4 through which the fuel can pass from the feed chamber r and through the chambers 1, 2, 3 to each in turn of the outlets.

The arrangement of ports is such that when the valve is in the position shown in Figure 2 (the device having already been filled with liquid fuel when starting the engine), fuel entering the chamber 2 through the corresponding ports x, y moves the shuttle m. to the left, thereby displacing fuel from the chamber, to the outlet u. After rotation of the valve through to the position shown in Figure 3, fuel entering the chamber 3 moves the shuttle n to the left, thereby displacing fuel from the chamber 2 to the outlet t. A further rotation of the valve through 120 brings the valve to the position shown in Figure 4. In this position fuel fed to the chamber 1 moves both shuttles to the right, and thereby displaces fuel from the chamber 3 to the outlet v. The above described sequence of actions is repeated after each com-- plete rotation of the valve.

When it is required to supply fuel to the cylinders of a six-cylinder engine, tWo such metering devices as that above described are employed, and the two valves may be mounted parallel with each other in a common body part as shown in Figure 5, and interconnected by gear wheels 12, b 5 so that both rotate at equal speeds, the wheel b being driven by motion derived from the engine. With this arrangement one of the valves controls the supply of fuel to three of the engine cylinders through outlets t, u, v and the other valve controls the supply to the other three cylinders through the outlets t u v The two metering devices are arranged to operate alternately, and in the example illustrated, the outlets in each group are disposed at 60 apart. Both devices are supplied from a common inlet s.

In the application of the invention to a single metering device for supplying more than three cylinders, the valve contains one less than that number of shuttles. During rotation of the valve, some of the shuttles are actuated separately as above described for effecting discharge through corresponding outlet ports, and discharge through the remaining port is effected by joint movement of the shuttles.

The invention can be adapted for supplying fuel to any desired number of cylinders in essentially the same manner as in the examples above described.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A liquid fuel metering device for use on an internal combustion engine having three or more cylinders, comprising in combination a rotary cylindrical valve provided with an axially arranged cylindrical bore, means closing the ends of the bore, a plurality of freely slidable shuttles situated in spaced relationship in the bore to divide the latter into coaxial chambers, the number of which is one more than the number of shuttles, and a barrel in which the valve is rotatably mounted, and which is provided with fuel inlet and outlet ports at positions corresponding to each of the chambers, the valve being provided with ports arranged to co-operate with the fuel inlet and outlet ports in the barrel for enabling fuel under pressure to be admitted to and discharged from the chambers, and the ports in the barrel and valve being arranged so that discharge of fuel through all of the outlet ports except one is effected by individual move- 3 4 ments of the shuttles under fuel pressure, and discharge References Cited in the file of this patent of fuel through the other outlet port is effected by joint movement of the shuttles under fuel pressure. UNITED STATES PATENTS 2. A liquid fuel metering dev1ce according to claim 1, 2,254,274 Doe Sept 2, 1941 and having a body part in which the barrel is mounted, 5 and which forms with the barrel a fuel feed chamber in 2584390 Leonard 1 1953 communication with the fuel inlet ports in the barrel. 2,720,344 Isreeli et al. Oct. 11, 1955 

